Spain, Italy and Portugal win Mario Solinas Quality Award

According to the competition rules released in September 2015, entries for this first edition were classified in one of the following sections on the basis of the median intensity of their fruitiness

In all, 130 oils have competed for the International Olive Council’s Mario Solinas Quality Award 2016 announced in September 2015, with entries coming from Greece (3), Italy (2), Morocco (3), Portugal (39), Spain (79) and Tunisia (4). Extra virgin olive oils could be entered by individual producers, producers’ associations or packers in any producer country. According to the competition rules released in September 2015, entries for this first edition were classified in one of the following sections on the basis of the median intensity of their fruitiness.

All the oils entered for this first edition were assessed by the international panel of judges who selected the six oils with the highest scores in each section. Next, the international panel selected the winner of the first prize in each section according to a special 100-point score sheet which marks them for their olfactory, gustatory and retronasal sensations and their harmony, complexity and persistence. The judges also proposed the second and third prize winners and finalists in each competition section.

All the competitors can now unseal the tank holding the batch of oil they entered for the competition. The winners are allowed to announce the prize on the labels of the extra virgin olive oil belonging to the same batch as the winning sample and can obtain a special logo from the Executive Secretariat for this purpose. The Mario Solinas Awards ceremony will be held during the FABEX Trade Show (13-15 April 2016) in Tokyo (Japan).